Norwich North and Norwich South tips open 9am to 4pm every day except Wednesday. Book a free slot first. Christmas closures, DIY charges and fridge rules.

Norwich has two tips, Norwich North at Horsham St Faith and Norwich South on Ipswich Road. Both open from 9am to 4pm every day except Wednesday, and you have to book a slot before you go. Norfolk County Council runs them, not the city council.

The quick answer

  • Both Norwich tips open 9am to 4pm, every day except Wednesday, including most bank holidays.
  • You must book a free 15-minute slot, up to a week ahead, online or on 0344 800 8020 (option 7).
  • Closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. This year that also means Wednesday 23 and Wednesday 30 December are shut, as every Wednesday is.

The two Norwich tips

Site Address Household and DIY waste Trade waste
Norwich North Morse Road, Horsham St Faith, NR10 3JX 9am to 4pm, closed Wednesdays Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri only
Norwich South Ipswich Road, Norwich NR4 6FA 9am to 4pm, closed Wednesdays Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri only

Sources: Norwich North and Norwich South, Norfolk County Council.

Getting there. Norwich North sits off the junction of the A140 and the A1270 Broadland Northway. Norwich South is off the A140/A47 roundabout, and the council says it cannot be reached from the B1113 entrance and warns you not to rely on satnav.

Trade waste is taken on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays only, never on bank holidays, and you need your waste carrier’s licence number.

Booking a slot

Every visit to a Norfolk recycling centre needs a booking, including on foot. A slot lasts 15 minutes, costs nothing, and can be made up to one week before you go. You can only book one slot at a time, but you can book as many as you need in a day while they last (Norfolk County Council).

You will need your name, address, email, the registration of the vehicle you are bringing, and whether you are bringing DIY waste. If you turn up in a different car, change the booking online or ask the staff at the gate (Norfolk County Council).

Walking in is allowed only with small amounts of waste carried from home, and there is a pedestrian option on the booking form. The council does not let people park outside and carry waste in.

The reuse shops at both sites keep the same hours as the tip, and you do not need to book to shop or donate (Norfolk County Council).

Christmas and New Year 2026

The council’s rule is that its recycling centres open on bank holidays except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Laid over this year’s calendar, with the Wednesday closure, the two weeks look like this:

Day Norwich North and South
Mon 21 Dec Open 9am to 4pm
Tue 22 Dec Open 9am to 4pm
Wed 23 Dec Closed (every Wednesday)
Thu 24 Dec, Christmas Eve Open 9am to 4pm
Fri 25 Dec, Christmas Day Closed
Sat 26 Dec, Boxing Day Closed
Sun 27 Dec Open 9am to 4pm
Mon 28 Dec, substitute bank holiday Not yet confirmed
Tue 29 Dec Open 9am to 4pm
Wed 30 Dec Closed (every Wednesday)
Thu 31 Dec, New Year’s Eve Open 9am to 4pm
Fri 1 Jan, New Year’s Day Closed
Sat 2 Jan Open 9am to 4pm

Boxing Day falls on a Saturday this year, so the bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December (GOV.UK). The council’s pages do not say whether the tips treat that Monday as Boxing Day. The booking calendar opens a week ahead, so it will show by about 21 December; we will update this row then.

Real Christmas trees go in the green waste container at any recycling centre, and the council’s own guidance on what to do with them is on our Norwich Christmas bin collections page.

What costs money

Most household waste is free, with no limit on visits: furniture, white goods, electrical items and garden waste. DIY waste from work on your own home is free up to two 50-litre sacks or one item per visit, and up to four DIY visits per household in any four weeks. Beyond that the “pay as you throw” prices, per 100 litres or single item, are (Norfolk County Council):

DIY waste Price per 100 litres
Timber £4
Rubble, soil and stones £4.50
Flat glass £6
Unsorted or non-recyclable DIY waste £7
Plasterboard (must be separated) £14, or £7 for a half bag

Staff assess the load before you unload. Cash is taken up to £10, and anything over that must be paid by card.

Fridges and freezers. A national shortage of processing capacity means only seven Norfolk tips now take cooling appliances. Both Norwich sites are among them, and the council is asking people to hold on to old fridges where they can (Norfolk County Council).

Both sites also sell compost at £4.75 for about 40 litres, 220-litre compost bins at £15, and 26kg bags of gritting salt at £7, while stocks last.

Before you set off

The council posts last-minute closures on its recycling centre closures page. Check it on a windy or icy day. For your wheelie bin days see Norwich bin collection days, and for road closures on the way, Norwich roadworks and travel.

Still to be confirmed

Whether the tips open on Monday 28 December, the substitute Boxing Day bank holiday. The booking calendar should show it by about 21 December.